Mayor selling chapel on eBay

A commune in the south has put its 17th Century chapel up for sale on eBay

A CHAPEL in the Midi-Pyrénées has gone on sale
on the internet auction site eBay.

The building is 450 square metres and dates from the 17th Century.

It is described as having a romanesque porch, fine wooden beams, old stained glass windows and many decorative statues.

However the roof, floor and electrics are in disrepair and there are major renovations needed.

According to Aujourd’hui en France it is because the municipality cannot afford renovations that mayor of Massat Léon-Pierre Galy-Gasparrou has taken the step. He has decided the commune of just 600 people cannot continue to maintain three churches, none of which has a regular priest, so wants to sell the smallest one.

The paper said the mayor pressed ahead despite opposition from the local bishop whose permission is theoretically needed for a change of use.